Furniture construction



S. BEREDAY Jan. 31, 1967 FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 28, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 3l, 5 BEREDAY FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 28, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A Jan. 3l, 1967 s. BEREDAY 3,301,597

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 28, 196e 4 sheets-sheet 4. v

III/III United States Patent O 3,301,597 FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Sigmund Bereday, M Rodreguez Serra St., Santurce, Puerto Rico Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,625 Claims. (Cl. 297-450) This application is a continuation-impart `of my prior copending application Serial No. 414,646, led November 30, 1964, and entitled Furniture Construction and relates to furniture constructions and more particularly to` a novel construction for `anupholstered chair or other seating unit.

In recent years the-re has been an incre-asing demand for and usage of metal frame furniture, especially chairs. Such chairs are less cumbersomeand easier to transport and move about than older types of chairs and lare often less expensive to manufacture. In order to secure the desired strength and durability in such chairs, the metal frame is commonly of welded construction. kWelding usually makes necessary a number of finishing steps, e.g., grinding and polishing, in order to achieve a finished product having an acceptab-ly attractive appearance. Hence the number of separate welds required to construct the chairrframe importantly-affects the cost of manufacture of the chair.

I-t is -accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a metalframe seating u-nitsuch as a chair, couch, bench or the like, which is sturdy and durable, light in weight and of especially simple construction. It is another object of the invention to provide a seating unit of this type that has relatively few welds and wherein the welds are so located as to .diminish .the time and labor required in the finishing operations. It is another object of the invention to provide an upholstered metal frame seating unit wh-ich is especially inexpensive to manufacture. Still another object is to provide a metalframe which can be used with furnitureA having wooden'legs to combine the advantages 'including the strength of a metal frame with the appearance of wooden legs. Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereafter.

The objects and advantages of the present invention can best be explained and `understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several types of chairs incorporating the present invention wherein:

FIGURE l is an exploded perspective view of the principal parts of an arm chair incorporating the invention, illustrating the manner in Whichthe chair parts are assembled;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the assembled chair of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a detail view'illustrating the way in which one of the angle braces is secured to aleg of the chair;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4--4 of FIGURE 2, showing the manner in which the chair seat is supported on and secured to the angle braces;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE 2, showing one of the supports for the ,back of the chair;

FIGURE 6 is a Vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 2, showing the manner in which the chair arms are connected to the chair legs;

'FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of a swivel chair incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of a side chair incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a chair in section and showing a modified construction in which the angle brace may -be attached to metal legs of circularrcrosssection;

ICC

FIGURElO is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 9 and showing another modified construction in which the invention is used to attach a metal angle brace to wooden legs of square cross-section; and

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 and showing a still further modified construction for attaching a metal angle brace to wooden legs of circular cross section.

Referring to the` drawings, and more particularly to FIGURE 1, the chair there shown comprises in general the back 10, seat 12, and the side sections 14 and 16. The back 10 and seat 12 are of conventional construction. Thus seat 12 comprises a rigid supporting panel 18, which may be made of wood or metal, a resilient cushion 20, which may be foam rubber, synthetic plastic foam, fibrous padding or other conventional upholstery cushion material, and a cover 22, which encases the support 18 and cushion 20 and which may be made of leather, plastic film, fabric or other conventional upholstery covering material.

As indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the bottom of back I10 is connected to the rear of seat 12 'by means of an i thereof.

angle brace `24 secured to the back 10 and` provided with i slots 26 through which the screws 28 may be inserted and threaded into the bottom of seat 12 to secure the seat and back together.

- The seat and back are supported on the side sections 14 and 16, which are of similar construction and of which only one need be describedin detail.` The side section 14 comprises a pair of vertical spaced legs or posts 30 and 32 interconnected intermediate their ends by an angle brace 34 and having an arm 3.6 secured to the upper ends Referring to FIGURE 3 as well as FIGURE l, the legs 30 and 32 are of square tubular configuration and are preferably made of a light metal such as aluminum, although-other metals e.g. steel and bronze can also v.38 and horizontal flange 40. As bestshown in connection with side `section `16 of FIGURE 1, the outer surface of v flange 38 is flush with the plane of the outer surfaces of legs 30y and .32. The horizontal flange 40 of each angle brace 28 extends between and Ibeyond the legs to which it is, connected. The Y inner corners of` the horizontal flanges v40 are beveled as indicated at 42 to make the end of flange 40 adjacent to each leg of the same Width as the face of the leg to which it is connected, as particularly shown at 44.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, both the vertical ilange 38 and horizontal flange 40 of each brace 34 are welded at each end to one of the four, legs of the` chair. More particularly flange f38. is weldedto the leg 32 by a weld 46, which is on the inside of the angle and extends along the entire line of lcontact between the angle-brace and the i, leg. It is evident that with this construction a firm attachment of the `angle brace to the leg can be secured Vand at the same time, the -weld 46 is essentially concealed from external view. Thus, subsequent external iinishing-operainto an internally` threaded bushing 58 having a flange 60 that lbears againstthe upper surfaceofsupportingstrip 48.` In-thismanner arm 36 is securely fastened to' the top of leg 30. v

Reverting Anow to FIGURES l and 2, thepreviously describedseat and back assembly10, 12 is supported on the inwardly extending-horizontal.flanges y40 of braces 34 3 by 'means 'of screws 62 which pass through holes 64 yformedin the flanges 40. Referring to FIGURE 4 which fshows lthe details of this attachment, the screw 62 passes "qtlifough hole 64 in horizontal flange 40 and through a hole 66 in panel 18 and into an internally threaded bush- -ing 68 having a flange 70 that bears against the upper surface of panel 18. Thus the seat rests on and is rmly supported by and secured to the horizontal flange 40.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, back is attached to the legs 32 by structure particularly shown in FIGURE 5. Referring to this figure, the back 10 comprises a relatively rigid panel 72, resilient pad 74 and upholstery cover 76, similar to the corresponding parts of seat 12. Secured to the panel 72 at a point about midway between the top and bottom of back 10 there is a U-shaped yoke 78 having a threaded opening 80 therein. The back 1i) is secured to leg 32 by means of a sorew 82 that passes through a hole in a lateral tab 84 secured lto the 'top of leg 32. Screw 82 is threaded through the opening 80 of the yoke 78. The panel 'p72 is recessed at 86 to receive the inner end of screw 82. A's indicated in FIGURE l, the back 10 is secured to the leg 32 of each of the side sections 14 and 16.

Referring n ow to FIGURE 7 of the drawings, which shows a modification or the present invention wherein the invention is incorporated in a swivel chair. In FIG- QE 7 the portions ofthe vertical tubes 30 and 32 below the angle bra/ces 34 are omitted 'and the chair is supported on a conventional swivel mechanism 80 secured to the bottom of seat 12. In other respects the construction is irnilar to that described in connection with FIGURES to 6i x aGU-RE illustrates a side chair incorporating the invention. The construction is similar to that of FIG- URES 1 to except that the portions of legs 30 above theangle braces 34, as well as the arm members 36, are omitted. Also the upper portions of legs 32 are conhected to the rear of the back 10 as in the embodiment of `FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 illustrates another modified construction in which the chair legs are constructed of rnetal and have a circular cross section. The construction is similar to that of FIGURES 1 to 8, except that the peripheral surface of legs 30 and 32 of each side section 14 is round- With this construction the ends of the substantially upright flange 38 of each cross brace 34 is aligned with the axis of the leg and connected to its periphery by a weld 46 at the inside edge so that it will be hidden from view. It will be observed that in this rnodied construction the end of the horizontal flange 40 is curved at 80 to conform to the contour of the circular leg and the weld 46 continues along the curved edge.

FIGURE 9 also shows an arrangement in which an angle iron cross-tie 81 is provided which extends between the horizontal flanges 40 of braces 34 on the opposite side sections 14 and 16 at the forward side thereof. This cross tie 81 may be attached to the braces 34 by any suitable fastening means and in the illustrated embodiment, it is shown attached by one of the same fastening screws 82 used to attach the flange 40 to the seat 12.

FIGURE 10 illustrates another modified construction which utilizes the present invention on furniture having wooden legs. As shown in FIGURE 10 the ends of the braces 34 of each side section 14 and 16 are welded to metal brackets 84 having right angular flanges 84a and 84b to fit the sides of a wooden leg 85 of square crosssection. Brackets 84 are then attached to the leg 85 by suitable wood fasteners such as the screws 86 as illustrated. It will also be observed that a cross-tie 81 is provided in this modified form the same as in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 illustrates a still further modified construction similar to that shown in FIGURE 10, but adapted for use with wooden legs of circular contour. In this modified construction, each end of the generally upright flange 38 of a brace 34 is connected to .a bracket 88 by a weld 46 and the bracket is attached to the leg by wood fasteners, such as screws 89. Bracket 88 in this construction is of circular contour and of a shape to closely lit the leg. Preferably, the bracket 88 extends through an arc of greater than 90 with holes for the screws 89 located midway between the side edges of the bracket.

From the foregoing description it should be evident that the present invention provides a seating unit structure that is both sturdy and exceptionally economical to build. Although the invention has been described as incorporated in a chair, it can also be embodied in other types of seating units such as couches, benches, multiple seating units and the like. By using the present invention, the advantages of a metal frame construction are achieved with only four welds, thus minimizing the time and expense of the welding operation. By using the angle braces 34 and welding along both the vertical and horizontal flanges of the angle braces, a rm attachment of the angle brace to the legs is achieved, and a sturdy structure provided. Since the welds are located on the inside of the angle braces, the need for grinding or otherwise finishing the welded joints is eliminated.

It is, of course, to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative only and that numerous changes can be made in the details described without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Thus, although the legs 30 and 32 are preferably made of metal tubes to achieve the desired combination of strength and light weight they may alternatively be solid rods or posts if desired. Also they may be of rectangular, oval, circular or polygonal crosssection instead of the preferred square cross-section illustrated in the drawings. Other modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A seating unit comprising in combination two side sections, a seat and a back, each of said side sections cornpr'ising a pair of legs interconnected by :a substantially horizontally arranged angle-iron brace on each side sec-- tion, said angle-iron brace having two flangesv forming an angle with each other and extending between said legs of la pair, one of said flanges being substantially upright and the other of said .side llanges extending horizontally between and projecting outwardly beyond said legs, means for securing the ends of said angle-iron brace of each side section to the legs of said sect-ion comprising a single weld for each chair leg at the abutting edge at each end of the brace, connecting means for securing said seat to the horizontally extending flanges of both of said side sections to integrate the separate side sections and seat -into a seating unit, means for supporting the lower end of said back from said side sections, and the joint 'between the end edges of the substantially upright flange of said brace and legs of each side section extending along contour lines therebetween, and the welds being located at the interior surface of said angle-iron brace whereby said welds are concealed from view when the seating unit is in ian upright position.

2. A seat-ing unit inaccordance with claim 1 in which the legs of each side section and angle iron brace are composed of metal, and the weld at each end of the brace directly connects the leg to the substantially upright llange of the brace at the inside edge underlying the yhorizontal flange.

3, A seating unit in accordance with claim 1 having means for securing the back to one of the legs of each side section.

4. A seating unit in accordance with claim 1 in which the legs of each side section are tubular and of square crossesection, the outer surface of the substantially upright flange of the angle-iron brace being substantially flush With the outermost surfaces of both legs of the side section and said horizontal flanges being the sole Isupportfor said seat, means for effectively securing the lower end of said back to the rear of said seat, means for securing said back to one of the legs of each of said side sections at a =point near the top of said leg, and the welds joining said braces and legs extending along lines of contact between said braces and legs.

5. A seating unit in accordance with claim 1 -in which the legs of each side section are of circular cross-section, the substantially upright flanges of the angle-iron braces extending longitudinally along the periphery of the legs to lprovide a joint, and the welds being located along said joint at the inner side thereof.

6. A seating unit in accordance with claim 5 in which a cross-tie is provided which extends between said side sections and having its ends attached to the horizontal anges of the braces.

7. A seating unit in accordance with claim 6` in which the lower end of said back rests on said horizontal anges of said braces, and securing means connecting the lower end of said back to said horizontal flanges.

8. A seating unit in accordance with claim 1 in which the legs of each side section are `composed of wood, a metal bracket having the same contour as the wooden legs, the angle-iron brace of each side section being weld- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,776,534 9/1930 Allen 297-446- 2,142,662 1/1939 Todd 297-451 2,194,750 3/1940 Hardy 297-446 X 2,454,912 11/ 1948 Cunningham 297-447 X 2,494,647 1/ 1950 Dewey 297-446 X 2,806,515 9/1957 Burst 297-451 2,979,122 4/ 1961 Knoll 297-445 3,087,758 4/ 1963 Deaton 297-440 X FRANK B. SILIERRY, Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner. 

1. A SEATING UNIT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION TWO SIDE SECTIONS, A SEAT AND A BACK, EACH OF SAID SIDE SECTIONS COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEGS INTERCONNECTED BY A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED ANGLE-IRON BRACE ON EACH SIDE SECTION, SAID ANGLE-IRON BRACE HAVING TWO FLANGES FORMING AN ANGLE WITH EACH OTHER AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LEGS OF A PAIR, ONE OF SAID FLANGES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT AND THE OTHER OF SAID SIDE FLANGES EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID LEGS, MEANS FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF SAID ANGLE-IRON BRACE OF EACH SIDE SECTION TO THE LEGS OF SAID SECTION COMPRISING A SINGLE WELD FOR EACH CHAIR LEG AT THE ABUTTING EDGE AT EACH END OF THE BRACE, CONNECTING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID SEAT TO THE HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING FLANGES OF BOTH OF SAID SIDE SECTION TO INTEGRATE THE SEPARATE SIDE SECTIONS AND SEAT INTO A SEATING UNIT, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE LOWER END OF SAID BACK FROM SAID SIDE SECTIONS, AND THE JOINT BETWEEN THE END EDGES OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT FLANGE OF SAID BRACE AND LEGS OF EACH SIDE SECTION EXTENDING ALONG CONTOUR LINES THEREBETWEEN, AND THE WELDS BEING LOCATED AT THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID ANGLE-IRON BRACE WHEREBY SAID WELDS ARE CONCEALED FROM VIEW WHEN THE SEATING UNIT IS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. 